App State's Cox Named to Doak Walker Award Watch List
DALLAS - Appalachian state running back Marcus Cox was named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List on THursday.
Cox ranked among the top 30 NCAA Division I FBS players nationally in rushing yards (1,415 – 22nd), rushing yards per game (117.9 – 22nd), rushing touchdowns (19 – t-11th) and scoring (9.5 points per game – t-16th) last season. He led the Sun Belt in rushing touchdowns and scoring. His 1,415 rushing yards ranked sixth in Appalachian State single-season history and his 19 rushing touchdowns tied for fourth in single-season school history.
Cox's 114 total points were tied for ninth in single-season program history. He rushed for 100 yards eight times, including six times in the final seven games of the season, and rushed for 200 yards twice (250 vs. Georgia State, 229 at Arkansas State). Cox also caught 16 passes for 180 yards, giving him 1,595 all-purpose yards for the season.
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Gordon Selected to Walker Watch List
JONESBORO, Ark. (7/16/15) – Arkansas State senior running back Michael Gordon has been named to the watch list for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation’s top running back.
Gordon was a Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection in 2014 after rushing for a career-high 1,100 rushing yards and was responsible for 13 touchdowns. He ran for a career-high five rushing touchdowns at Idaho and had at least one rushing touchdown in six of the 11 games that he played in. Gordon ran for 100-yards in five games and finished averaging 100 yards per game, an average that ranked fourth in the conference and 29th in the nation.
The Camden, Miss., enters the 2015 season with 23 career-rushing touchdowns and nine career 100-yard rushing games. His 6.8 career yards per rush mark is the second highest average in school history and his 1,899 career rushing cards ranks 33rd among active players in the NCAA. He needs just 101 more rushing yards to become the 12th player in school history to record 2,000 yards in a career.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists on November 18, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the three finalists, who will be announced on November 24. The committee will cast a second vote beginning November 30 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.
The recipient of the 2015 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 10, on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held in Dallas in early 2016.
The award, which will name its 26th recipient in 2015, is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.
Season tickets for the 2015 campaign are on sale at the A-State Ticket Office, located at the Convocation Center’s lower red entrance. The ticket office can be contacted at 870-972-2781 and ticket information is also available by on the Ticket Central Page on AStateRedWolves.com.
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Breida Named a Candidate for Doak Walker Award
DALLAS – Georgia Southern junior running back Matt Breida has been named a candidate for the 2015 Doak Walker Award, it was announced today by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum. The award is given to the nation's best running back, and Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon won it in 2014.
Breida is one of three semifinalists from last season who are candidates again this year, joining James Conner (Pittsburgh) and Devon Johnson (Marshall).
Breida led both the nation and Sun Belt in rushing yards per carry at 8.7 and ranked at the top of the Sun Belt rushing chart at 123.8 yards per game last season. He had more rushing touchdowns of 50-yards or more than anyone in the nation (7) and had the second-highest rushing touchdowns in the league with 17. He finished with 1,485 yards en route to earning first-team All-Sun Belt accolades.
Breida checked in at sixth on the 2015 list of College Football's 15 most explosive athletes, compiled by Mike Huguenin of NFL.com. He has been named a preseason first team All-Sun Belt selection in Phil Steele's and Athlon Sports college football previews and was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists Nov. 18, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will cast votes to determine the three finalists, who will be announced Nov. 24. The committee will cast a second vote beginning Nov. 30 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives.
The recipient of the 2015 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards Thursday, Dec. 10, on ESPN. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held in Dallas in early 2016.
The award, which will name its 26th recipient in 2015, is named for SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.
Georgia Southern won the 2014 Sun Belt title in its first season in the league, finishing 8-0 in the conference and 9-3 overall. The Eagles return 58 lettermen and 13 starters to the 2015 squad.
Fans can purchase 2015 season tickets and select their seats online, by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by visiting the ticket office in the Cowart Building adjacent to Paulson Stadium (203 Lanier Drive). Ticket office hours are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Season tickets prices start as low as $75 for all six games, and seats that do not require a donation are available from $135-145 per seat.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by visiting GSEagles.com.
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McGuire Nominated For 2015 Doak Walker Award
DALLAS – UL Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football standout Elijah McGuire picked up his third national preseason honor on Thursday when he was named as a candidate for the 2015 Doak Walker Award, which is presented to the nation's top college running back, in an announcement by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.
McGuire, a junior from Houma, La., was previously named to the Paul Hornung Award Watch List as the nation's top all-purpose back, and the Maxwell Award Watch List, which is presented to the college Player of the Year.
The reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, McGuire rushed for 1,264 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season while leading the Ragin' Cajuns with 45 receptions. McGuire joined Brian Mitchell, Michael Desormeaux and Tyrell Fenroy as the only players in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season and joined Fenroy as the only players to rush for over 2,000 yards in their first two seasons.
Among NCAA individuals, McGuire finished 29th nationally in rushing yards, 19th in all-purpose yards (1,848) and third in yards per carry (7.61). McGuire recorded a rushing touchdown in nine consecutive games during the season and accounted for a team-best 22 plays (13 rushes, eight receptions, one punt return) of 20 yards or more on the season, including seven plays of 40 yards or greater.
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Texas State's Lowe Named to Doak Walker Award Watch List
DALLAS - Texas State running back Robert Lowe was named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List on Thursday.
Lowe played in 11 games and made 10 starts at tailback. He was named All-SBC Honorable Mention by league coaches and selected media after he rushed for 1,091 yards and 12 touchdowns on 185 carries. He caught 24 passes for 207 and one TD and ranked fifth among SBC leaders with 99.2 yards per game, 5.9 yards per carry and rushing touchdowns.
He was named SBC Player-of-the-Week after rushing for a career-best 236 yards and tying four touchdowns against Arkansas State. He had 12 rushing TDs and 146 yards on 20 carries and caught three passes for 22 yards and a TD at Georgia State.
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Burks Named to Doak Walker Award Watch List
DALLAS - Troy running back Brandon Burks was named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List on Thursday.
Burks rushed for 584 yards and three touchdowns last season. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry and topped the 100-yard mark against New Mexico State and Georgia State. He rushed for 176 yards on just 10 carries against New Mexico State; his 17.6 yards-per-carry average ranks as the second highest in a game in Troy history.
Burks also caught 23 passes for 181 yards and a score – reception total was the third most on the team while receiving yards were the fourth most … Averaged 69.5 all-purpose yards per game, which was the second most on the team. He enters his senior season tied for 11th in Troy history with five 100-yard rushing games. He caught a season-high five passes for 23 yards in the opener at UAB. He had a season-high 14 carries for 50 yards at South Alabama.